System and method for tracking shopping behavior

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a system and method for tracking an interrogator relay unit disposed on a shopping cart within a store. The method comprises emitting an RF interrogation signal using the IRU; receiving, at the IRU, location data from an RFID tag in response to the RF interrogation signal; transmitting the location data, an identification information of the IRU, and timestamp data to a remote server using the IRU; and generating a behavior report using the transmitted location data, the identification information, and the timestamp data.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/782,402, filed Jul. 24, 2007, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/683,903,filed Mar. 8, 2007, which is (i) a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/505,616, filed Aug. 16, 2006, and (ii) acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/506,179,filed Aug. 16, 2006, all of which are incorporated herein by referencein their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to systems and methods fortracking shopping behavior, more particularly, to systems and methodsfor tracking traffic pattern in a store or other venue.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Targeted advertisement is an effective strategy for selling products.Most advertisements on television are played in shows having viewerswithin a certain age group. For example, advertisements for toys areusually placed in children oriented programming such as early morningand after school cartoons. Similarly, advertisements for automobiles,for example, are usually placed in adult oriented programming such asnews and talk shows.

Billboard advertisement also applies a targeted advertisement strategy.Cites for billboard advertisements are generally selected based on thetraffic and the demographic of the travelers making up the traffic. Inthis way, the message of the advertisement is directed toward a desiredaudience.

Similarly, the same marketing strategies apply for the placement ofproducts in a store such as, for example, a grocery store, a departmentstore, and an electronic store. Product placement in a store can be akey factor in the sale of the product. A product placed in a hightraffic area will most likely garner more attention from shoppers andthus will produce more sales than a product placed in a low trafficarea.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to various embodiments of the invention, systems and methodsfor tracking shopping behavior is provided. In accordance with oneembodiment of the invention, the method comprises: emitting an RFinterrogation signal using an interrogator relay unit (“IRU”);receiving, at the IRU, location data from an RFID tag in response to theRF interrogation signal; transmitting the location data, identificationinformation of the IRU, and timestamp data to a remote server using theIRU; and generating a behavior report using the transmitted locationdata, the identification information, and the timestamp data. In oneembodiment, the location data received from the RFID tag comprisesinformation concerning where the RFID tag is located with respect to areference point.

In one embodiment, the behavior report comprises a travel pattern of theIRU with respect to the reference point. The behavior report can begenerated using location data from a plurality of RFID tags.

In another embodiment, the method calculates a time duration of the IRUbeing within a transmission range of the RFID tag by analyzing thetimestamp data associated to the IRU identification information.

In yet another embodiment, RFID tag is a passive RFID tag. In stillanother embodiment, the plurality of RFID tags are located in a store.In one embodiment, the location data comprises location information ofwhere the RFID tag is located within the store.

In still another embodiment, the IRU is located on a mobile containerused for storing shopping materials.

In a further embodiment, the method comprises: transmitting theidentification information of the IRU to a point-of-sale device; andtransmitting purchaser information and items purchased information tothe remote server once a sale transaction is completed using thepoint-of-sale device.

In yet another embodiment according the present invention, a method fortracking an interrogator relay unit (IRU) comprises: emitting RFinterrogation signals at a prescribed interval using the IRU; receiving,at the IRU, location data from a plurality of RFID tags in response tothe periodic RF interrogation signals; transmitting each of the receivedlocation data and identification information of the IRU to a remoteserver using the IRU; calculating time duration information of the IRUbeing within a transmission range of a first a first RFID tag using theprescribed interval and a number of times the location data from thefirst RFID tag is being transmitted along with the identificationinformation of the IRU.

In yet another embodiment according the present invention, a system fortracking shopping behavior is provided. The system comprises: aplurality of RFID tags distributed within a structure, each RFID tagconfigured to contain location information regarding its position withinthe structure; a interrogator relay unit (IRU) configured to receive thelocation information from the plurality of RFID tags in response tointerrogation signals transmitted by the IRU, wherein the IRU isconfigured to transmit the location information and an identificationinformation of the IRU to a remote database; and a report generatorconfigured to query the remote database and to generate a behaviorreport that comprises a travel pattern of the IRU with respect to theplurality of RFID tags. In the system, the remote database is configuredto store and timestamp the location information received.

Other features and advantages of the present invention should becomeapparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments,taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate,by way of example, the principles of the invention. The summary is notintended to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined solely bythe claims attached hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way ofonly, with reference to the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a notional illustration of an example RFID system for locatingan entity within a structure, in accordance with the principles of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary implementationof the RFID tags of FIG. 1 within a six-story structure;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the progression of a firefighter through the structure passing RFID tags while wearing a portableRFID transmitter/receiver (also herein referred to an interrogator relayunit (“IRU”));

FIG. 4 illustrates a notional base unit log that details the firefighter's location within the structure over time as the fire fightermoves through the structure;

FIG. 5 is a detailed sectional view of the 4^(th) floor of the structureillustrating the movement of the fire fighter through the structure;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example method for standardizingRFID function and location for the RFID system, in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example method for datatransmission from a passive tag to the RFID transmitter/receiver and tothe base unit, in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example method for downloadingbuilding data from an active RFID tag to the base unit computer, inaccordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is an exemplary block diagram illustrating the major componentsand radio wave communication between the components of the RFID systemof the invention;

FIG. 10 is an exemplary process flow diagram illustrating processcommunication within the RFID system of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the systems and methods describedherein from a service view perspective and a display view perspectiveaccording to embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the entitylocation system in accordance with the service view perspective and thedisplay view perspective of FIG. 11 according to embodiments of thepresent invention;

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary environment in which theinvention may be implemented according to one embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIGS. 14-15 illustrate exemplary process flows for transferringlocation-based data between a mobile device and a computer systemaccording to embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary environment in which ashopping behavior tracking system may be implemented according to oneembodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 17-18 illustrate exemplary process flows for tracking shoppingbehavior according to embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary environment in which ashopping behavior tracking system may be implemented according to oneembodiment of the present invention; and

FIGS. 20-22 illustrate exemplary process flows for tracking shoppingbehavior according to embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before describing the invention in detail, it is useful to describe anexample environment in which the invention may be implemented.

In the following paragraphs, the present invention will be described indetail by way of example with reference to the attached drawings.Throughout this description, the preferred embodiment and examples shownshould be considered as exemplars, rather than as limitations on thepresent invention. As used herein, the “present invention” refers to anyone of the embodiments of the invention described herein, and anyequivalents. Furthermore, reference to various feature(s) of the“present invention” throughout this document does not mean that allclaimed embodiments or methods must include the referenced feature(s).

The present invention is directed to systems and methods for obtaininglocation-based data on a mobile device. The method may comprisereceiving location data from an RFID tag using the mobile device,transmitting identification data of the mobile device and the locationdata to a remote system, receiving customized data from the remotesystem, wherein the customized data are based on the location data fromthe RFID tag and the device ID, and presenting the customized data onthe mobile device.

By way of example, the entity may comprise a person or an item that islocated within a structure such as a building, a subway, or a mine. Moreparticularly, the entity is fitted with a portable RFIDtransmitter/receiver, and the structure is provided with a plurality ofRFID tags. Each RFID tag may comprise a passive or active device thattransmits its location to the transmitter/receiver. Thetransmitter/receiver then transmits the location of the entity to a baseunit computer, which displays the location of the entity. In thismanner, the RFID system of the invention may continuously monitor thelocation of any entity that is fitted with a transmitter/receiver. Bycontinuously monitoring the location of an entity that is fitted with atransmitter/receiver, the entity may be tracked. This tracking may occuralmost any time two or more locations for the same entity aredetermined.

In conventional systems, an RFID tag is attached to the entity such thatthe tag may move past a stationary RFID receiver, referred to as an“interrogator”, and the system records the information from the tag.There are several proposals for use of RFID technology in buildings orfor emergency personnel. Such stationary systems require installation ofRFID interrogators throughout buildings to accurately track personnellocations, which may be incredibly expensive and impractical,particularly when considering that the interrogators are far moreexpensive than the RFID tags. In addition, the interrogators requireemergency backup power when there is a loss of power to the building. Inthe RFID system of the present invention, the process is reversed sothat a plurality of stationary RFID tags are positioned at predeterminedlocations throughout structures such as buildings and subways, whereineach stationary tag identifies the location of an entity within thestructure. In view of the high relative cost of the conventionalstationary RFID receivers, placing RFID tags throughout the building andonly requiring a limited number of emergency personnel to wear an RFtransmitter/receiver will result in an enormous cost savings,particularly for large structures.

Referring to FIG. 1, in accordance with the principles of the invention,an RFID system 100 for locating an entity within a structure comprisesone or more portable radio frequency (RF) transmitter/receiver units110, a base unit 120 providing a command and control function, and aplurality of passive RFID tags 130. According to other embodimentsdescribed herein, active RFID tags 130 may be employed. The base unit120 may comprise a computer including a processor, a memory, anoperating system, a database, an HMI, and an RF receiver. The RFreceiver may comprise a PC card on the motherboard or a PCMCI card orwith a USB interface, including interface software comprising machinereadable instructions for allowing communication between the RFtransmitter/receiver 110 and the base unit receiver, and then unpackingthe data transmissions and load records to a database (not depicted). Inone embodiment the portable RF transmitter/receiver unit 110 isbattery-operated, wherein the battery life is sufficient for theduration of an operation.

According to the invention, the RF transmitter/receiver 110 may read anRFID tag 130 and thereby determine location based on the known locationof the RFID tag 130. The location of RFID tag 130 may be determined bylocation data embedded in RFID tag 130. The embedded location data maybe programmed into RFID tag 130 using clear text or other suitablelanguages. The location data may include the floor number and locationwithin the floor, latitude, longitude, elevation, and/or other locationinformation. In a preferred implementation, the RF transmitter/receiver110 may determine location information using other locationdetermination systems and methods. For example, in the preferredembodiment of the invention, the RF transmitter/receiver 110 is capableof reading an RFID tag 130 and receiving GPS signals from GPSsatellites. Generally, RFID tags 130 are used to track entities withinbuildings, underground, etc., while GPS is employed to determinelocation outside. It will be understood, however, that in certain casesGPS signals may be receivable inside (e.g., near a window), and in othercases RFID tags may be employed to determine location outside (e.g.,RFID tags 130 may be attached to the exterior of buildings). Such asystem may be useful in extremely dense urban areas where GPS signalsmay be blocked by tall buildings or interfered with by otherelectromagnetic signals.

Since the RFID system 100 of the invention broadcasts location data inreal time, the location of the person (or entity) is recorded at thebase unit 120. Using the location data, rescue personnel may beimmediately directed to the real time location of the entity within astructure, and the man-portable unit does not need to continuallyfunction as a beacon. By way of example, the structure may comprise abuilding, subway or mine. One of ordinary skill in the art willappreciate that the RFID system 100 may be employed to locate entitieswithin various other structures without departing from the scope of theinvention.

While the supplemental location determination device will generally beGPS, other location determination systems may also be used. Further, thesupplemental location determination system may be augmented by, forexample, Local Area Augmentation System (LAAS), Wide Area AugmentationSystem (WAAS), Differential GPS (DGPS), etc. Additionally, as usedherein GPS refers to the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)developed by the United States Department of Defense, (NAVSTAR GPS) andany other similar GNSS, for example, Galileo, GLONASS, etc.Additionally, while the supplemental location determination system isreferred to as “supplemental” it will be understood that, in some cases,it may provide location information more frequently than the RFID entitylocation system. Such cases include instances wherein the entity to betracked spends more time in areas where GPS signals may be received thanin areas where RFID tag signals may be received.

FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic view showing the implementation of theRFID system 100 of the invention within a six-story structure 150.Specifically, the RFID system 100 comprises a plurality of passive RFIDtags 130 disposed at predetermined intervals within the six-storystructure 150. In the illustrated embodiment, the passive RFID tags 130are separated by intervals of approximately fifty feet. Additional tags130 may be provided at other locations within the structure 150, forexample at entrances, exits, stairwells, particular rooms, or every roomin the structure 150. According to the invention, a standard may bedeveloped to determine an appropriate or optimum distance betweenpassive tags 130 for a particular structure. According to oneimplementation of the invention, the RFID tags 130 are passive devicessuch that they do not require AC or DC power, and each tag 130 has an RFsignal containing unique location information. In operation, an RFtransmitter/receiver (attached to an entity within the structure 150)sends a signal to an RF tag 130 and then records the RF backscattersignal of the tag 130. The RF signal of the tag 130 may include uniquelocation information. As set forth above, the RFID system 100 has manyadditional useful applications such as with respect to miningoperations, hospitals, in underground parking garages, and otherbusiness where one needs to quickly locate people or assets,particularly during an emergency situation.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, active RFID tags 130may be employed within the RFID system 100. In this embodiment, the basecomputer 120 emits an RF interrogation signal at predetermined,constant, rapid intervals. Once the base computer 120 enters theeffective range of an active RFID tag 130, the active tag 130 receivesthe request and transmits radio waves including signals representingbuilding data, such as the address of the building, contact information,and/or a schematic of the building. Upon receiving the building data,the base unit computer 120 stores the building data, and displays thebuilding data on a human-machine interface (“HMI”) such as a graphicaluser interface (“GUI”). Unlike the passive tags, the active tags of thisembodiment require an AC or DC power source.

In one embodiment RFID tags may be placed within building materials. Inanother embodiment RFID tags may be attached to building materialsduring the manufacture of these materials. In yet another embodimentRFID tags may be attached during the construction of a building. In thisway RFID tags may be propositioned in or on building materials toexpedite the installation of tags within buildings. For example,building materials that may contain tags include drywall or sheetrock,baseboards, wallpaper, fabric, plywood, concrete, stucco, or plaster. Inanother embodiment tags may also be placed within pre-manufactured wallsand/or modular furniture during the manufacture of these items.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view that depicts the progression of a firefighter 170 past the RFID tags 130, wherein the fire fighter 170 iswearing a portable RFID transmitter/receiver unit 110. As the firefighter 170 walks past an RFID tag 130, the RF transmitter/receiver 110records the location of the tag 130 and broadcasts the location of thetag 130 (and the fire fighter 170) to the base unit computer 120, whichmaintains a log of the current location of each RF transmitter/receiver110 on an on-going basis. Locations are updated every time an RFtransmitter/receiver 110 passes an RF tag 130 at constant, predeterminedand rapid intervals. Alternatively, locations are updated when an RFtransmitter/receiver 110 passes a predetermined number of RF tags 130,or at a predetermined time interval. As such, the base unit 120 recordsthe location of each entity (or fire fighter) that is accurate to thedistance between RFID tags 130. In FIG. 3, the fire fighter 170 isillustrated as moving past RF tags 130 on the fourth floor of thestructure 150 of FIG. 2. In the first frame, the fire fighter 170 passesthe RFID tag 130A positioned at 50 feet from the left wall on the fourthfloor of the structure. In the second frame, the fire fighter 170 walkspast the tag 130B at 100 feet from the left wall. In the third frame,the fire fighter 170 passes the RFID tag 130C located 150 feet from theleft wall. As the fire fighter 170 passes each RF tag 130, his personalRFID transmitter/receiver 110 records its location and forward thelocation to the base unit 120, which track the location in a log.

FIG. 4 illustrates a base unit log 190 that details the fire fighter'slocation within the structure 150 over time as the fire fighter 170moves through the structure 150. Particularly, the initial entry in thebase unit log 190 was recorded as the fire fighter 170 entered thestructure 150, passing an RFID tag 130 at the entrance. According to theinvention, this particular entrance tag 130 may contain generalinformation about the building such as address, the building's contactinformation, the building owner's contact information, the number offloors, and/or a schematic of the building. In the illustratedembodiment, the base log 190 contains information pertaining to theidentification of the fire fighter 170, the contact information of thestructure 150, the address of the company or companies residing in thestructure 150, the entity's position and time for each log entry, andthe current date. The base unit log 190 then recorded the fire fighter'slocations in real time as he or she traveled to the fourth floor via thestairwell, passing several more tags 130. The fire fighter 170 thenexited the stairwell on the fourth floor, and the three highlightedentries in the base unit log 190 coincide with the movement of the firefighter 170 illustrated in FIG. 3.

According to the invention, it is anticipated that the efficacy of theRFID system 100 will dramatically increase if an entire metropolitanarea adopts a set of standards and associated regulations, for example,to require the installation of RF tags in all multi-story buildings,subways, and in all mines. In one embodiment, if all building ownerswere required to install RFID tags in a uniform manner, emergencypersonnel would be assured of consistency from building to building andaccuracy of the location data at each specific building. By way ofexample, a standard for the spacing between tags may be adopted toensure consistent data from building to building. Greater resolution maybe realized by reducing the distance between RFID tags.

FIG. 5 illustrates a detailed sectional view of the 4^(th) floor of thestructure 150 for identifying and displaying the movement of specificpersonnel (e.g., the fire fighter 170) as they move through thestructure 150. With the adoption of an entrance RFID tag 130, emergencypersonnel may download a schematic of the structure 150 to the base unit120 to display a “bird's-eye” view or other views of any floor ormultiple floors of the structure 150 and the position of any firefighter 170 within the structure. The schematic is updated to show themovement of the fire fighter 170 every time he or she passes an RFID tag130. In the illustrated embodiment, emergency personnel No. 5 (firefighter 170) has recently moved from the stairwell on the 4^(th) floor(RFID tag 130D), past RFID tag 130E, and is currently positioned nearRFID tag 130E.

The RFID system of the invention may be implemented utilizingCommercial, Off-The-Shelf (“COTS”) technology currently manufactured andsold by various companies. In particular, RFID tags and personalcomputers are readily available at any number of global suppliers. Thebase unit of the RFID system may further require a database for storingand retrieving information as well as a graphic user interface (“GUI”)for displaying the retrieved information. RFID interrogators thatcollect the data from an RFID tag and transmit the data via cable to acomputer for processing are currently available. Additionally,manufacturers currently produce hand-held interrogators that collectdata, and then download the data at a later time when the interrogatoris placed in a cradle connected to a computer. For the RFID system setforth herein, a new type of portable interrogator is necessary that iscapable of transmitting the recorded data to the base unit in real time.In one embodiment the unit is battery-operated, portable, as lightweight as possible, and protected from the elements.

Referring to FIG. 6, a method 200 for standardizing RFID function andlocation for the RFID system of the invention will now be described.Initially, step 210 involves creating a standard for the data contentand optimum placement of passive RFID tags 130 within a structure. At aminimum, the standard should address the data to be stored on the tag130, the mounting location of the tag 130 and the distance between tags130. Step 220 involves creating a standard for identifying the RFIDtransmitter/receiver unit 110 and the entity (or person) on which theunit 110 is fitted. This step may involve programming each RFIDtransmitter/receiver unit 110 to identify the individual, asset orentity to which it will be attached. Subsequently, step 230 involvesmounting a plurality of RFID tags 130 on surfaces of the structure inaccordance with the standard and programming each RFID tag 130 inaccordance with the standard (i.e., using an RFID transmitter/receiverunit 110 to program the location data into the tags 130). According tosome embodiments of the invention, the method may further entail thesteps of: (1) mandating the use of RFID tags in all structures of aparticular municipality (step 240); and/or (2) creating a standard forthe data content and optimum placement of an RFID tag 130 at theentrance of a structure (step 250). This standard addresses the mountinglocation and the data to be stored on the tag, including the address,contact information, and a building schematic.

Referring to FIG. 7, a method 300 for data transmission from a passivetag 130 to an RFID transmitter/receiver unit 110 and to the base unitcomputer 120 will now be described. In step 310, the base unit computer120 (which may be located inside or outside of the structure) is turnedon and an entity (or person) is fitted with a portable RFIDtransmitter/receiver unit 110. In step 320, the portable RFIDtransmitter/receiver unit 110 emits an RF interrogation signal atconstant, predetermined and rapid intervals. Step 330 involves theentity entering the structure fitted with passive RFID tags 130 andmoving within the effective range of a stationary RFID tag 130. Uponreceipt of the RF energy by the RFID tag 130, the method 300 proceed tostep 340, wherein the passive tag 130 powers up and emits a signal 345(or a series of signals) containing the location data, which mayinclude, e.g., the floor number and location within the floor, latitude,longitude, and elevation, or other location information, such as a tagserial number that may be mapped to a location. For example, in oneembodiment information about location based on tag serial number may bestored in a database. When a tag serial number is received this locationinformation may be looked up in the database.

This may occur, for example, at an interrogator, at a base unit, orwhere ever the tag serial number is received and a copy of the data baseis available. The tag number may be received by a device that containsthe database either directly from an RFID tag or it may be transmittedfrom another device. For example an interrogator may transmit an RFIDtag serial number to a base unit that includes a copy of the database.In step 350, the RFID transmitter/receiver unit 110 receives thelocation data from the passive tag 130, and transmits the location dataand its unit ID to the base unit 120. In step 360, the base unitcomputer 120 receives the location data and unit ID, stores thisinformation with the time, and displays all of the data on the HMI.

Referring to FIG. 8, a method 400 for downloading building data from anactive RFID tag 130 to a base unit computer 120 having a systemtransmitter/receiver will now be described. Step 410 involves poweringon the portable base unit 120. In step 420, the base computer 120 beginsto emit an RF interrogation signal at predetermined, constant, rapidintervals. Once the base computer 120 enters the effective range of theactive RFID tag 130, the method proceed to step 430, wherein the activetag 130 receives the signal and powers on. In step 440, the active RFIDtag 130 transmits building data in the form of a signal 445 (or a seriesof signals). For example, the building data may include withoutlimitation, the address of the building, contact information, and aschematic of the building. In step 450, the base unit computer 120receives the building data, stores the building data, and displays thebuilding data on the GUI.

FIG. 9 is an exemplary block diagram 500 of the major componentsillustrating radio wave communication between the components of the RFIDsystem 100, including RFID tags 130, RFID transmitter/receiver 110 andbase unit computer 120. The portable RFID transmitter/receiver 110comprises a processor 510, a power cell 520, interrogator communications530 for interrogating the RFID tags 130, and base unit communications540 for sending data to the base unit computer 120. The base unit 120comprises a portable computer including at least one database 550, anHMI 560, and RFID transmitter receiver communications 570 for receivingdata from the portable RFID transmitter/receiver 110. As would beunderstood by those of ordinary skill in the art, many additional systemconfigurations are possible without departing from the scope of theinvention.

FIG. 10 is an exemplary process flow diagram 600 illustrating processcommunication within the RFID system 100 of the invention. Inparticular, the RFID transmitter/receiver 110 interrogates an RFID tag130 (process 610), and, in response, the RFID tag 130 sends its locationand RFID tag unit identification to the RFID transmitter/receiver 110(process 620). Upon receiving the location information (process 630),the RFID transmitter/receiver 110 stores the location (process 640) andsends the location and RFID tag unit identification to the base unitcomputer 120 (process 650). The base unit 120 receives the location andRFID tag unit identification (process 660), stores the location, RFIDtag unit identification and the time of the data entry (process 670),and displays the location, RFID tag unit identification and the time ofthe data entry (process 680). Other process flow arrangements arepossible without departing from the scope of the invention.

The present invention has been described above in terms of presentlypreferred embodiments so that an understanding of the invention may beconveyed. However, there are other embodiments not specificallydescribed herein for which the invention is applicable. Therefore, theinvention should not be seen as limited to the forms shown, which is tobe considered illustrative rather than restrictive. For example, thesystems and methods described herein have been described with respect toexample embodiments wherein RFID tags 130 are disposed at predeterminedintervals within a structure. As would be understood by those havingordinary skill in the art, in other embodiments, RFID tags 130 may bedisposed at intervals that are not predetermined. Further, the RFID tags130 do not have to be placed at a particular interval. Additionally, thedistance between RFID tags 130 does not have to be predetermined orconstant. The locations may be determined after the RFID tags 130 havebeen placed. The placement of one or more RFID tags 130 is all that isnecessary. As long as the location of an RFID tag is known, an entitymay be located if it is within the range of the particular RFID tag 130.

Generally, the more accurately the location of an RFID tag 130 is known,the more precisely an entity may be located. As the range of the RFIDreader on the entity increases, the accuracy may decrease because theRFID reader may determine that the entity is located at a tag that isactually some distance away from the tag. In some embodiments of theinvention, accuracy may be improved by the addition of more RFID tags130 such that the predetermined distance between RFID tags 130 isreduced. Accordingly, as would be understood by those of ordinary skillin the art, the “exact location” of an entity being located is subjectto the accuracy limitations of the systems and methods described herein.

The present invention provides systems and methods for tracking entities(e.g., people, things), wherein the entities may be tracked as theymove, both inside and outside of structures. The structures may beterrestrial (e.g., buildings) and subterranean (e.g., mines, subways).The location of entities that are not moving (e.g., at least temporarilystill) may also be determined. Location, or tracking, data may beintegrated with other relevant data, including without limitation, (i)ancillary tracking systems (e.g., GPS, acoustic homing), (ii) localenvironmental conditions, (iii) local infrastructure (e.g., electricalwiring, plumbing, (iv) hazardous material), (v) personal data (e.g.,temperature, heart rate), and (vi) geospatial support data includingmaps, images and features (e.g., roads, bridges, railroads,communication lines). In some embodiments infrastructure data mayinclude national, state, local, or tribal infrastructure data.

In one embodiment the data may be observed almost anywhere on Earththrough connectivity with the internet or by wireless communication suchas satellite, cellular, or other wireless communication systems,including combinations of multiple communication systems. Observers mayuse multiple methods for data presentation. For example, the collectionof interior positioning system (“IPS”), exterior position system(“EPS”), or both, may be provided by a web based service which may beused by subscribers. In some embodiments, the location information maybe used in conjunction with mapping services, for example Google Earth,Microsoft Virtual Earth, Google Maps, Yahoo Maps, or other mappingservices. In another embodiment the mapping information may beintegrated into the web based service.

It will be understood that IPS will generally refer to the positioningsystem for inside a structure, mine, parking garage, etc., (e.g., anRFID based system) while EPS will generally refer to the position systemfor outside, (e.g., GPS). These terms are not intended to be limiting,however. For example, an RFID system may be used outside (e.g., byattaching RFID tags to the outside of a building), and in some cases GPSme be able to be used inside, e.g., near windows, skylights, openings,etc.

The systems and methods described herein may be implemented in manydifferent types of devices. For example, the system may incorporate useof presentation devices that may include SmartPhones, PDAs, laptops,personal computers and thin client browsers. Other presentation devicesmay include local display of data where presentation services areincluded in the Interrogator Relay Unit (“IRU”) or Smart IRU.

Referring now to FIG. 11, the systems and methods described herein willnow be discussed from a service view perspective 700 and a display viewperspective 702. In particular, the service view 700 illustrates thearchitectural concepts, whereas the display view 702 illustratesoperational concepts and potential implementations or embodiments. Inother words, the service view 700 depicts various systems and methodsdescribed herein from the perspective of the services, while the displayview 702 depicts various systems and methods described herein in termsof different example devices that may be employed. It will be understoodthat these are not the only devices that may be used to implement thesystems and methods described herein. It will be further understood thatthe systems and methods described herein may, in some cases, be usefulfor providing services in addition to or in place of the exampleservices discussed.

In the service view perspective 700, the architecture may be broken downinto data management 704, collection 706, dissemination 708, andpresentation 710. Conceptually, these elements could be services in aservice-oriented architecture (“SOA”), where functionality and data floware orchestrated by workflow middleware. The display view 702 mayinclude different implementations or embodiments of elements of theservice view 700. The spectrum of devices may range from a simplebrowser 712 to a smart IRU 714 that interrogates, relays location andother data to a base unit and also displays results locally to the host.In addition, the display view 702 may include a GIS 716 and/or a cellphone 718. Data can be transmitted and received between variouscomponents 712, 714, 716, and 718 and the services 700 usingcommunication channel 720.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example embodiment of entitylocating system 730. FIG. 12 further illustrates the service viewperspective 700 and the display view perspective 702 of FIG. 11. Thediagram includes examples of data management 704, collection 706,dissemination 708, and presentation 710. Data management 704 may include(i) data models, (ii) data collection or ingest, (iii) data storage,(iv) data logging (archiving), (v) data export, and (vi) dataintegration. Data models may define the entities and their relationshipsrelevant to the systems and methods described herein. Data models mayfurther provide a common vocabulary for integrating data from multiplesources.

FIG. 13 illustrates yet another exemplary environment 1300 in which theinvention can be implemented. Environment 1300 is a wireless networkenvironment such as LAN, WAN, or other similar wireless network.Alternatively, environment 1300 may comprises a combination of awireless network and a wired network. For example, a mobile device maybe wirelessly connected to a network 1305, and a ViewPoint 1320 may bedirectly connected to network 1305 via POTS or other suitable wirednetwork. Environment 1300 can be in a urban setting, or other areaswhere GPS signals are not reliable. Alternatively, environment 1300 canbe integrated with various data services such as GPS or web-based dataservices such as MSN Maps for example.

As shown, environment 1300 includes network 1305, RFID tag 1310, acomputer system 1320, a database 1330, a server/database 1340, a mobiletelephone 1350, and a mobile device (PDA) 1360. In addition to otherfunctionalities that will be described herein, environment 1300incorporates all of the features of RFID system 100 as described above.Similarly, RFID tag 1310 incorporates all features previously describedfor RFID tag 130.

In environment 1300, RFID tag 1310 may be located in front of a buildingentrance such that a mobile device can be detected as it enters thebuilding. Alternatively, RFID tag 1310 comprises a plurality of tagsthat are distributed throughout a building. Each of the tags containsdata specific to its location in the building. For example, RFID tags1310 can be placed at various departments of a store such as the shoesdepartment, men's clothing, women clothing, and home furnishing, etc.RFID tags 1310 at the shoes department may contain location informationfor informing mobile device 1360 of its location in the store.

In one embodiment, mobile device 1350 or 1360 transmits its locationinformation along with its identification data to computer system 1320,also referred to as the ViewPoint system 1320. This allows the ViewPointsystem 1320 to know the approximate location of the customer (the userof mobile device 1360) within the store. In this way, the ViewPointsystem 1320 can notify the staff of the customer's presence in order toexpedite service and to attend to the customer's needs. Additionally,the ViewPoint system 1320 may transmit information such as advertisingmaterials related to shoes directly to the mobile device 1320 or to RFIDtags 1310 located in the shoes department. In this embodiment, theViewPoint system 1320 may communicate to RFID tags 1310 which, in turn,communicate to mobile devices 1350 or 1360. In this way, the informationstored in RFID tags 1310 can be dynamically customized for differentcustomers.

Similar to RFID tags 130, RFID tags 1310 may be disposed inside of astructure's building materials such as sheetrock, baseboard, ceiling andfloor panels, window frames, and concrete, for example, during theconstruction of the structure. RFID tags 1310 can be purchased in bulkby the OEM of building materials, which places RFID tags 1310 into thebuilding materials during the manufacturing process. These pre-disposedRFID tags 1310 may then be programmed or re-programmed at a later stageto hold data specific to their final destination.

As shown in FIG. 13, the ViewPoint system 1320 is connected to database1330. The ViewPoint system 1320 is designed to interface with mobiledevice 1350 and PDA 1360 to collect device related data such as thedevice's present location, identification data and communicationscapabilities (802.11, Bluetooth, etc.). A mobile device can beidentified by its device ID using 802.15 communications, or by thedevice's MAC address for 802.11 communications. The ViewPoint system1320 stores data collected from mobile devices 1350-1360 into database1330 with reference to the device identification data such as the deviceserial number or MAC address. In this way, data relating to a particulardevice may be easily retrieved in the future. The ViewPoint system 1320may also store data in a remote database similar to database 1340.

Database 1340 is a remote database that stores essentially the same dataas database 1330. However, since database 1340 is off-site and isdirectly connected to network 1305, it can be configured to collect andstore data from other RFID environments, GPS systems or other relevantsources, such as RFID system 100. In this way, data relating to aparticular mobile device can be shared between different RFIDenvironments worldwide.

In environment 1300, the ViewPoint system 1320 is designed to collectdata from a plurality of mobile devices that are within thecommunication range of RFID tag 1310. As an example of thisfunctionality, once PDA 1360 is within the communication range of RFIDtag 1310, RFID tag 1310 will transmit its location data to PDA 1360.This allows PDA 1360 to establish its location. As mentioned, locationdata may include the floor number and location within the floor,latitude, longitude, and elevation, or other location information, suchas a serial number of RFID tag 1310 that may be mapped to a location. Inone embodiment, the location data includes longitude data, latitudedata, elevation data, and position data relative to a reference pointsuch as an entrance of a structure, a section of a structure, orrelative to compass headings (e.g., north, south, east, or west). Thelocation of RFID tag 1310 may be stored in a database along with itsserial number, for example. In this way, PDA 1360 may determine itslocation and send the location information received from RFID tag 1310to the ViewPoint system 1320. Once the ViewPoint system 1320 receivesthe location data from PDA 1360, the ViewPoint system 1320 may look upthe corresponding location data in database 1330.

In another embodiment of the invention, RFID tag 1310 is configured tosupport various search providers such as Mobile Local Search,Location-Based Search, Proximity Search, Spot Relevance, and othersuitable location based search services. For example, the user of mobiledevice 1360 may want to search for directions to a point of interest.First, mobile device 1360 establishes communication with RFID tag 1310and receives location data from RFID tag 1310. Next, mobile device 1360sends the location data received from RFID tag 1310 to the ViewPointsystem 1320. Similarly, the location data can be forwarded to one of thesearch providers or a service portal. Using the location data from theRFID tag 1310 as a reference point, the search provider or the ViewPointsystem 1320 may find a the desired point of interest by matching thelocation information of RFID tag 1310 to points of interest stored indatabase 1330 or in the search providers' database. Location data fromRFID tag 1310 may contain a street address of the building where RFIDtag 1310 is located, or the precise location within a structure, such asa mall. This allows the ViewPoint system 1320 to more accurately locatea point of interest near the address provided by RFID tag 1310.Additionally, the ViewPoint system 1320 can calculate the direction fromthe location of RFID tag 1310 to the point of interest and send thedirection data to mobile device 1360.

In a further embodiment, the ViewPoint system 1320 can be expanded toprovide other information beyond location-based data to mobile devices1350 and 1360 such as advertisement, inventory information, and productinformation, etc. Expanding on the example above, the user of a mobiledevice 1360 requests for the location of the nearest specific retailstore, the ViewPoint system 1320 may compile advertisement data such ascoupons and other sales promotions to send to mobile device 1360.

To provide better customer service, the ViewPoint system 1320 may keeprecords of mobile device behavior such as purchase history and pastsearches. Records may be kept along with mobile device MAC address,serial number, or other identification data. In this way, The ViewPointsystem 1320 may determine what type of goods the owner of mobile device1360 usually purchases. For example, the ViewPoint system 1320 may sendcoupons or advertisements regarding a computer game if its determinedthat the user of mobile device 1360 often purchases computer games andgaming related products. It should be noted that the coupons oradvertisements sent by the ViewPoint system 1320 may be audio, video,image, text, or any combination thereof.

The ViewPoint system 1320 may also send inventory related data to mobiledevice 1360 based on the purchase history of mobile device 1360. In thisway, the ViewPoint system 1320 may provide good customer service to theuser of mobile device 1360. For example, every time the user of mobiledevice 1360 makes a purchase, the ViewPoint system 1320 saves thepurchase information into database 1330. Information recorded mayinclude the type of item purchased, price, and quantity, for example. Ifan clothing article is purchased, the ViewPoint system 1320 may alsorecord the clothing article's style and size. Every time the user ofmobile device 1360 purchases a product, a sale staff may ask for theuser's address or other identification data. Alternatively, the user ofmobile device 1360 may be identified whenever the user uses a creditcard, check, or debit card. These data are recorded along with the usermobile device identification information. In this way, whenever the userof mobile device 1360 makes a purchase, the ViewPoint system 1320records the purchase along with the identification information of mobiledevice 1360. In one embodiment, purchases made through a point-of-saleequipment such as check out computers and credit/debit card machines maybe uploaded to a transactional/behavioral database or databases 1330 and1340 by the point-of-sale equipment. The information uploaded mayinclude item purchased, price, and the customer identification data suchas the identification number of mobile device 1360. ViewPoint system1320 may query these transactional data to customize data sent to mobiledevice 1360.

For example, using the behavioral data associated with mobile device1360, the ViewPoint system 1320 may determine what type of shoes andshoe size the user of mobile device 160 typically purchases, forexample. Once this determination is made, the ViewPoint system 1320 maysend customized data to mobile device 1360. In this context, customizeddata comprises data prepared by the ViewPoint system 1320 based on theanalysis of the behavioral data of mobile device 1360. For example,assume that mobile device 1360 is at a department store and RFID tag1310 sends location data to mobile device 1360. The location datacontains information to indicate that mobile device 1360 is currently atthe shoe department. Mobile device 1360 automatically sends itsidentification information and the location information to the ViewPointsystem 1320. Upon receipt of these data, the ViewPoint system 1320 sendsa notification to a staff at the shoe department to alert the staff thatthe user of mobile device 1360 is in the shoe area. Additionally, theViewPoint system 1320 looks up the behavioral data of mobile device1360. Since the ViewPoint system 1320 is aware that mobile device iscurrently at the shoe department, it can customize a data package withinformation relating to shoes to send to mobile device 1360. Forexample, the ViewPoint system 1320 may send mobile device 1360 a list ofall shoes currently available at the store with sizes 13, for example.In this example, the sizes of the shoes included in the data packagesent to mobile device 1360 is based on the purchase history of mobiledevice 1360.

FIG. 14 illustrates a method 1400 implemented by mobile devices 1350 and1360 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Method 1400starts at step 1410 in which mobile device 1350 or 1360 receiveslocation data from RFID tag 1310. This process is typically automaticand occurs whenever mobile device 1350 enters the communication range ofRFID tag 1310. In one embodiment, the user of mobile device 1350 maydisable or enable communication with nearby RFID tags. As mentionedabove, RFID tag 1310 may be a passive or an active tag. The mobiledevice 1350 will initiate the communication by sending out interrogationsignals to RFID tag 1310. Again, this only occurs if the user enablesthe mode that allows communication with nearby RFID tags.

In step 1420, mobile device 1350 sends its identification informationand the location data received from RFID tag 1310 to the ViewPointsystem 1320. This data package may be sent wirelessly using standardwireless communication protocols such as Bluetooth, HomeRF, or WiFi(wireless fidelity) or an active RFID tag with connection to a network.Upon receipt of the data package, the ViewPoint system 1320 uses theidentification data to query database 1330 for information on mobiledevice 1350. As mentioned above, information specific to mobile device1350 such as purchase records can be used to tailor a promotionalmessage or sales coupons to mobile device 1350. Contemporaneous toquerying database 1330, the ViewPoint system 1320 may send a welcomemessage to mobile device based on received location data. For example,RFID tag 1310 may be placed at the entrance of the store. Accordingly,once the ViewPoint system 1320 receives the location data from mobiledevice 1350, it knows that mobile device 1350 has just entered the storeand accordingly sends a welcome message. Further, the ViewPoint system1320 may send a notification via email, phone, or page, to a staff tonotify that the user of mobile device 1350 is present.

After the ViewPoint system 1320 finishes querying database 1330 forinformation on mobile device 1350, it compiles a data package to send tomobile device 1350. The data package may include general advertisementmaterials, product info, or other information that the ViewPoint system1320 determines may be of interest the user of mobile device 1320. Thedata package may be audio, video, image, text or any of thosecombinations. As previously mentioned, the data package is based on theidentification of the mobile device and the location data received fromRFID tag 1310. In this way, the ViewPoint system 1320 may customize thedata sent to mobile device 1350. In step 1430, mobile device receivesthe above customized data. Alternatively, the data package is a generaldata package that is sent to every mobile device within its effectiverange.

In step 1440, mobile device 1350 or 1360 presents the received datapackage from the ViewPoint system 1320 to the user of the device. Thismay be accomplished using a graphical user interface (GUI) on mobiledevice 1350. Alternatively, mobile device 1350 may present the datapackage via a speaker if the data package contains audio information. Inaddition, the data package may be presented using a combination ofimage, audio, and video information.

FIG. 15 illustrates a method 1500 according to one embodiment of thepresent invention. Method 1500 begins at step 1505 where mobile device1350 or RFID tag 1310 is detected. Once communication is establishedbetween mobile device 1350 and RFID tag 1310, RFID tag 1310 sendslocation data to mobile device 1350.

In step 1510, mobile device 1350 registers itself with the ViewPointsystem 1320. Mobile device 1350 registers itself by sending itsidentification information and/or the location information from RFID tag1310 to the ViewPoint system 1320.

In step 1515, the ViewPoint system 1320 queries database 1330 ordatabase 1340 for information relating to mobile device 1350. In step1520, the ViewPoint system determines if there is a pre-existing recordfor mobile device 1350. If a record exists, the method 1500 proceeds tostep 1540. If there is no record, the method 1500 proceeds to step 1525.

In step 1525, the ViewPoint system 1320 creates a new record for mobiledevice 1350. In step 1530, the ViewPoint system 1320 sends a customizeddata package to the new user. The customized data package may includestore hours, upcoming events, promotional materials, and/or a welcomemessage to welcome the new customer.

In step 1535, the ViewPoint system 1320 updates database 1330 ordatabase 1340 on the behavior of mobile device 1350. For example, theViewPoint system 1320 may monitor and record all purchases made bymobile device 1350. The ViewPoint system 1320 may also monitor themobile device's travel pattern, search history, etc., and record theactivities into database 1330 and/or database 1340. This allows theViewPoint system 1320 to learn the behavior of mobile device 1350, whichwill enable the ViewPoint system to better serve the user of mobiledevice 1350 when he/she returns to the store in the future.

If in step 1520, a record is found for mobile device 1350, then themethod 1500 process to step 1540. In step 1540, the ViewPoint system1320 notifies a staff of the store that mobile device 1350 is in thearea. Since the identification of mobile device 1350 is known at thisstage, the ViewPoint system 1320 may notify the appropriate staff inorder to better serve the user of mobile device 1350. Additionally, instep 1545, the ViewPoint system 1320 may send a message customizedspecifically for the user of mobile device 1350. For example, if therecord shows that the user of mobile device 1350 is Mr. Smith, theViewPoint system 1320 may send a welcome message that states “WelcomeMr. Smith.” Additionally, the customized data package may include storehours, upcoming events, and promotional materials.

In step 1550, the ViewPoint system 1320 performs a detailed query forbehavioral data of mobile device 1350. In step 1555, the behavioral datais analyzed for patterns. In step 1560, the ViewPoint system 1320 sendsa second customized data package to mobile device 1350 based on theanalysis of the behavioral data. The second customized data package mayinclude promotional materials specifically tailored for mobile device1350. For example, if the purchase history of mobile device 1350 showsthat tennis equipment is frequently purchased by the user of mobiledevice 1350, then the ViewPoint system 1320 may send coupons orpromotional materials relating to tennis to mobile device 1350. Itshould be noted that step 1545 may be combined with step 1560. In thisway, mobile device 1350 only receives 1 comprehensive data packageinstead of several data packages.

In step 1565, the ViewPoint system 1320 updates database 1330 and/ordatabase 1340 on the behavior of mobile device 1350. Similar to step1535, the ViewPoint system 1320 monitors and records all purchases madeby mobile device 1350. The ViewPoint system 1320 may also monitor themobile device's travel pattern, search history, etc., and record theseactivities into database 1330 and/or database 1340. Even though themethod is described in the order shown, the steps of method 1500 may beperformed in various orders without departing from the scope of theinvention.

FIG. 16 illustrates yet another exemplary environment 1600 in whichmethods and systems for tracking shopping behavior may be implemented.Environment 1600 is a wireless network environment such as LAN, WAN, orother suitable wireless network. Similar to environment 1300,environment 1600 may comprises a combination of a wireless network and awired network. For example, a mobile device such as, for example, ainterrogator relay unit 1610 may be wirelessly connected to a network1605. A server or traffic tracking system 1620 may be wirelessly ordirectly connected to network 1605 via POTS or other suitable wirednetwork. In one embodiment, interrogator relay nit 1610 is a RFtransmitter/receiver device configured both transmit and receive RFsignals.

As shown, environment 1600 includes network 1605, IRU 1610, an RFID tag1615, traffic tracking system 1620, a database 1625, a point-of-saleterminal 1630, a cart 1645, and a shelf 1640. In addition to otherfunctionalities that will be described herein, environment 1600incorporates all of the features of RFID system 100 as described above.Similarly, RFID tag 1615 incorporates all features previously describedfor RFID tag 130.

In environment 1600, a plurality of RFID tags 1615 may be distributed onshelf 1640. RFID tags 1615 may be evenly or randomly distributed onshelf 1640. For example, an RFID tag can be placed on shelf 1640 atevery other 5 feet. The distance between each RFID tag can be adjustedbased on the resolution of detection desired. In one embodiment, RFIDtag 1615 is configured to respond to interrogation signals sent out byIRU 1610. Once RFID tag 1615 detects the interrogation signal, it sendslocation information to IRU 1610. The location information can beinformation about its location with respect to shelf 1640 or to areference point in the store. The location information can include anaisle number, a section number, and other suitable location information.An example of location information is “Aisle 5, Section 4, Produce.”

As mentioned, RFID tag 1615 may be evenly or randomly distributed withina shelf or a structure of the store (e.g., wall, floor, and fixture).The distance between each RFID tag 1615 may depend on the sensitivity ofthe IRU and RFID tag 1615. The distance between each tag should beselected such that IRU 1610 is not confused as to its location becauseit has received too many responses from a plurality of RFID tags 1615.For example, if the transmission range of the RFID tag 1615 is 1-2 feet,then the distance between each RFID tag 1615 may be as little as 2 feetor at a distance such that IRU 1610 only receives a maximum of 2 or 3location information from different RFID tags 1615. Generally, a highnumber of RFID tags will translate to a high tracking resolution. Itshould be noted that other methods can be implemented to adjust theresolution and sensitivity of IRU 1610 and RFID tag 1615. For example,the output power of the interrogation signal can be adjusted to reduceor increase the range of the interrogation signal.

As shown in FIG. 16, RFID tags 1615 are distributed on both sides ofshelf 1640. Shelf 1640 can be located in a store such as, for example, agrocery store, a department store, or an electronic store. In oneembodiment, IRU 1610 can be placed on a shopping cart 1645 or basket. Inthis way, a travel pattern 1650 of IRU 1610 through the store may betracked by traffic tracking system 1620 as the cart or basket is beingused by a customer.

In operation, IRU 1610 transmits an interrogation signal which may bereceived by a nearby RFID tag 1615. Once the interrogation signal isreceived, RFID tag 1615 sends its location information to IRU 1610. Inone embodiment, IRU 1610 transmits the received location information andidentification information of the IRU to traffic tracking system 1620and/or database 1625. Preferably, IRU 1610 immediately transmits thereceived location information and the identification informationimmediately after it has received the location information from nearbyRFID tag. In one embodiment, IRU 1610 also transmits timestamp data longwith the location information. In this way, traffic tracking system 1620may determine how long an IRU is located at a certain RFID tag. Forexample, traffic tracking 1620 may receive location data that comprises“Section 1, Bakery” at several consecutive timestamp intervals (e.g.,16:01, 16:02, 16:04, 16:05).

In one embodiment, IRU 1610 is configured to transmit interrogationsignals at random intervals. Alternatively, IRU 1610 is configured totransmit interrogation signals at a predefined time intervals. In thisembodiment, IRU 1610 can also be configured to send data to traffictracking 1620 at a predefined time interval regardless of whether it hasreceived location data from a nearby RFID tag. In one embodiment, IRU1610 is configured to timestamp each location data received from an RFIDtag. Alternatively, IRU 1610 may or may not timestamp the location dataif it is configured to transmit its status at predefined intervals. Ifno location data has been received, IRU 1610 may transmit a ‘no-data’ totraffic tracking 1620. In this way, each location data point stored indatabase 1625 can represent a time interval. Thus, time duration can becomputed based strictly on the number of location data points.

Preferably, all data transmitted by IRU 1610 are stored in database1625. In this way, traffic tracking system 1620 may query database 1625to generate a behavior report on a particular IRU using the IRUidentification. In one embodiment, traffic tracking system 1620 isconfigured to generate a behavior report that includes a travel pattern(e.g., travel pattern 1650) and a time duration report showing how longIRU 1610 is at a particular RFID tag 1615 or location of the store.

In one embodiment, IRU 1610 is configured to send its identificationinformation to point-of-sale terminal 130 once it has determined that itis at the point-of-sale terminal. This can be accomplished by analyzingthe location data received from RFID tag 1615. AN RFID tag at point ofterminal 1630 can have a unique identifier that allows IRU 1610 torecognize that it is at the point-of-sale terminal. In one embodiment,IRU 1610 is also configured to notify traffic tracking system 1620 thatit is located point-of-sale terminal 1630. In this way, traffic trackingsystem 1620 may wirelessly configure IRU 1610 to stop collectinglocation information from RFID tag 1615. The location data collected atpoint-of-sale terminal 1630 can also be used as the last data point usedto determine travel pattern/route 1650.

In one embodiment, point-of-sale terminal 1630 transmits a point-of-saledata package to traffic tracking system 1620 after a sale transaction iscompleted. A point-of-sale data package may include purchaserinformation, items purchased information, coupon or discount programused, and the IRU's identification. Purchaser information may include acredit card, checking account, club membership information, or othersuitable information that can identify a particular customer. Itemspurchased information may include names of items purchased, quantitypurchased, price, and date and time of purchase. In this way, traffictracking system 1620 can generate a shopping behavior report that mayinclude statistics such as, for example, ten most frequently purchaseditems, average spending per transaction, traffic pattern the customer orthe traffic pattern of the IRU being associated to the transaction,average time at various locations in the store, average time in thestore, hours and day of week the customer usually visit the store, etc.

In one embodiment, environment 1600 includes an RFID tag on a consumercard (not shown) such as, for example, a club card (e.g. a grocery storesaver's card) or a store credit card. In this embodiment, IRU 1610 canbe configured to interrogate a nearby consumer card and to receive acustomer information from the consumer card. The customer informationcan then be transmitted to traffic tracking system 1620, which canassociate the customer information with other information such as, forexample, the current IRU identification information and information inthe point-of-sale data package after the transaction is completed. Inthis way, traffic tracking system 1620 has multiple means foridentifying an individual customer.

FIG. 17 illustrates a high-level process flow 1700 implemented by asystem and method for tracking shopping behavior according to oneembodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 17, processflow 1700 starts at step 1710.

In step 1710, an interrogation signal is emitted. In one embodiment, aplurality of interrogation signals is emitted by IRU 1610 at a random orpredetermined intervals. In response to the interrogation signal, anyRFID tag within the transmission range of the interrogation signal isconfigured to respond by emitting a response signal. The response signalmay include information regarding the location of the RFID tag withrespect to a reference point.

In step 1720, the location data is received by IRU 1610. In step 1730,the location information is transmitted to a remote server along withidentification information of the IRU. The identification informationand the location data are then stored in a database such as, forexample, database 1625 while also maintaining their association.

In step 1740, a behavior report is generated using the informationstored in database 1625. In one embodiment, the behavior report includestravel pattern of the IRU with respect to a plurality of RFID tagspositioned throughout a structure such as a store.

FIG. 18 is a diagram that illustrates a process flow 1800 that can beimplemented by a system and method for tracking shopping behavioraccording to one embodiment of the present invention. In step 1810,location data from RFID tag 1615 is received by IRU 1610 in response toIRU 1610 interrogation signal.

In step 1820, timestamp data is created for the received location data.In one embodiment, each location data is preferably timestamped.Timestamp data may be created and appended to the location data.Alternatively, timestamp data can be separately created and associatedto the location data received. In one embodiment, IRU 1610 is configuredto timestamp the received location data. Preferably, the receivedlocation data is timestamped immediately after it is received.

In step 1830, IRU 1610 is configured to transmit the timestamp data, thelocation data, and the identification data of the IRU to traffictracking system 1620, which then stores the data in database 1625.

In step 1840, the time duration of an IRU being within the transmissionrange of a particular RFID tag is calculated. To illustrate, let usassume an RFID tag with location data of “Aisle 6, Section 2, Bread,”which will be referred to as the bread RFID tag. Let us further assumethat the IRU identification information is “IRU No. 2.” To calculate thetime IRU 1610 is within the transmission range of the bread RFID tag,traffic tracking system 1620 may query database 1625 for data associatedwith IRU No. 2. The query results may be as follows:

IRU ID RFID Location Data Time No. 2 Aisle 6, Section 2, Bread Aug. 2,2007 13:06:30 No. 2 Aisle 6, Section 2, Bread Aug. 2, 2007 13:07:00 No.2 Aisle 6, Section 2, Bread Aug. 2, 2007 13:07:30 No. 2 Aisle 6, Section2, Bread Aug. 2, 2007 13:08:00 No. 2 Aisle 6, Section 3, Deli Aug. 2,2007 13:08:30Using the above query results, traffic tracking system 1620 may thendetermine that IRU No. 2 was at the bread section for approximately 1.5minutes. As shown, the time resolution depends on the intervals of thedata points. The time resolution can be adjusted by adjusting thefrequency of data sampling and collection in steps 1810-1830. In oneembodiment, traffic tracking system 1620 is configured to determine thetime duration of an IRU at each RFID tag.

In step 1850, the route or path of an IRU is determined. In oneembodiment, a graphical layout of preferably all RFID tags is producedand the route of a an IRU is overlaid on top of the graphical layout. Inthis way, the route of an IRU can be visually perceived. An example of avisual representation of an IRU route and the layout of RFID tags isshown in FIG. 1. In one embodiment, the route of an IRU is determined byquerying database 1625 for data associated with the IRU of interest.Each data point in the query results can then be displayed and connectedtogether to form a representation of the travel path. In one embodiment,the end of the route can be determined by detecting when the IRU is at apoint-of-sale terminal or other designated area for a predeterminedamount of time. For example, traffic tracking system 1620 may determinethat a cart has been abandoned if it has been in the same location formore than 30 minutes. As another example, traffic tracking system 1620may determine that the path of a cart has ended when the cart reached apoint-of-sale terminal and has been there for more than 3 minutes. Thebeginning of a path may be determined once a cart enters a zone such as,for example, the front door, or the produce area.

In step 1860, a route and time spent at preferably each data point (RFIDlocation) report is generated. In one embodiment, a graphical report isgenerated. FIG. 19 illustrates an example graphical report generated bytraffic tracking system 1620 according to one embodiment of the presentinvention. As shown in FIG. 19, a plurality of RFID tags 1615 isdistributed throughout a store. In step 1860, path 1910 is generated byquerying database 1625 for data associated to cart 1645. In step 1860, aplurality of dots is used to represent data points of the query. Eachdot is approximately placed based on the location data of the RFID tag.In one embodiment, time duration can be displayed next to the dot.Alternatively, the size of the dot can varies with respect to the timeduration spent at the dot. In this way, one can perceive the travel pathof the IRU and the time spent at each location by observing the size ofeach dot relative to each other. For example, a dot 1915 is relativelysmall than a dot 1920. This indicates that cart 1645 spent more time atdot 1920 than at dot 1915. FIG. 19 also indicates that cart 1645 spentthe most time at dot 1930, which is at a point-of-sale terminal. In oneembodiment, the size of the line that traces the path of cart 1645 canvaries to represent the time spent near the closest data point. Forexample, line size immediate to the right of dot 1920 can be large andbecome progressively smaller as it approaches 1925.

FIG. 20 is a diagram that illustrates a process flow 2000 that can beimplemented by a system and method for tracking shopping behavioraccording to one embodiment of the present invention. It should be notedthat process flow 2000 can be used in conjunction with process flow 1800to collect additional data. Referring now to FIG. 20, in step 2010,interrogation signals are transmitted at a constant interval. The periodor interval may be 5 or 10 seconds for example. In one embodiment,traffic tracking system 1620 can adjust the frequency in which IRU 1610is emitting interrogation signal. In step 2020, location data from anearby RFID tag is received.

In step 2030, IRU 1610 transmits the location information from thenearby RFID tag along with the IRU identification information. In oneembodiment, step 2030 is preferably performed immediately after step2020.

In step 2040, the time duration of an IRU at one or more RFID tags iscalculated. This may be done by keeping track of the number ofconsecutive data points a having the same location data. For example, ifthe period is 5 seconds and there are 7 consecutive data points thathave the same location data from a single RFID tag, it follows that theIRU is near that particular RFID tag location for at least 35 seconds.In one embodiment, traffic tracking 1620 is configured to calculate atleast the following statistics: the time duration an IRU is near(located within transmission range of the tag) each RFID tag; the totaltime duration for each RFID tag; and average time each IRU is near eachRFID tag. In step 2050, a report is generated. In one embodiment, thereport generated in step 2050 is similar to the report generated in step1860.

FIG. 21 is a diagram that illustrates a process flow 2100 that can beimplemented by a system and method for tracking shopping behavioraccording to one embodiment of the present invention. It should be notedthat process flow 2100 can be used in conjunction with process flows1800 and 2000 to collect additional data. Referring now to FIG. 21, instep 2110, an interrogation signal is transmitted. In one embodiment,the transmitter or interrogator is configured to send out a customizedinterrogation signal to solicit information from an RFID tag located ona consumer card such as, for example, a club card, a saver card, a storecredit card, etc. In one embodiment, step 2110 is only performed at thebeginning of the tracking process and only after the IRU is located at acertain zone such as, for example, the front entrance or the producesection.

In step 2120, a customer information is received from the RFID tag onthe consumer card. The customer information may include a membershipnumber, a telephone number, name, and address, etc. In step 2030, thecustomer information and the IRU identification information are sent totraffic tracking System 1620. In one embodiment, step 2030 is preferablydone immediately after step 2120.

In step 2140, the customer information is associated with the IRUidentification information. This enables traffic tracking system 1620 toequate the behavior of the IRU to the behavior of the customer. In step2150, a behavior report is generated. In one embodiment, the customerinformation includes gender and age information. Thus, the behaviorreport may include path of travel for a selected customer. The behaviorreport may include other statistics broken down by age group, gender,and other demographics, such as, for example, most visited location of astore for males and females, and most frequently used path of travel by25-30 years old, etc.

In one embodiment, steps 2110-2120 can be repeated when the IRU islocated at a point-of-sale terminal. In this way, the customerinformation data can be compared and verified prior to transmitting thecustomer data to traffic tracking system 1620. If, for example, the samecustomer information is detected during the first and second iterationsof steps 2110-2120, then the customer information can be assumed to bethe rightful owner of the cart. This helps reduce the chance of readingin stray data from a customer card that happens to be located within thetransmission range of the transmitter.

FIG. 22 is a diagram that illustrates a process flow 2200 that can beimplemented by a system and method for tracking shopping behavioraccording to one embodiment of the present invention. It should be notedthat process flow 2200 can be used in conjunction with process flows1800, 2000, and 2100 to collect additional data. Referring now to FIG.22, in step 2210, a customer information and a transaction relatedinformation is transmitted to traffic tracking system 1620 after a saletransaction has been completed at a point-of-sale terminal. The customerinformation transmitted by a point-of-sale terminal may include creditcard number, address, name, sex, age, checking account number, etc. Thecustomer information may be obtained from the customer's method ofpayment and use of a club or membership card. The transaction relatedinformation may include items purchased, quantity, price of each item,total price of purchase, coupon or discount used, etc.

In step 2220, the customer information and the transaction relatedinformation is associated with the IRU in the cart currently located atthe point-of-sale terminal. In this way, traffic tracking 1620 mayassociate the customer information and the transaction relatedinformation to the IRU identification. This also enables traffictracking 1620 to associate data collected during process flows 1800,2000, 2100, and 2200 with one another. In step 2230, a shopping behaviorreport is generated. In one embodiment, step 2230 includes one or morereport features of steps 1860, 2050, and 2150. In one embodiment, thebehavior report generated by step 2230 may include statistics such as,for example, average money spent per transaction by age, type of productpurchased by gender, and relationship between the average money spentper transaction and time spent in the store, etc.

According to the invention, a base unit may consist of hardware andsoftware that monitors and communicates with smart IRUs 714 or othermobile devices 1350 and 1360 using wireless communication technologies.Base unit operation may be configurable, allowing it to be programmed tooperate in a variety of RF and communication modes. Base unit softwareruns on computers (including but not limited to laptops) and other smartdevices such as PDAs, Blackberries and other portable computer-baseddevices. Base unit hardware may interface to host computer devices usingindustry standard interfaces. Base unit dissemination service supportsboth push and pull requests for information from external systems, usersand display devices. Base unit data management service supports thecollection or ingest, storage, logging and integration of data from RFIDentity location systems and from external systems. By way of example,external systems may include GIS systems, GPS and other trackingsystems, and data systems used by RFID entity location system users. Acomplete log of data events and quality of service data is maintainedfor future reference.

The presentation service formats, integrates and adjusts data fordisplay based on the user's needs and the characteristics of the displaydevice. In addition, the presentation service allows information to bedisplayed in a manner adjusted for the physical size of the display. Thebase unit collection service ingests and manages both dynamic and staticinformation.

The systems and methods described herein may be implemented using acomputer. In one embodiment the computer may be a desktop, laptop, ornotebook computer. In another embodiment the computer may be amainframe, supercomputer, or workstation. In yet another embodiment thecomputer may be a hand-held computing device such as a PDA, smart phone,cell phone 718, palmtop, etc. The computer may also represent computingcapabilities embedded within or otherwise available to a given device.

The computer may include one or more processors, which may bemicroprocessors, microcontrollers, or other control logic and memory,such as random access memory (“RAM”), read only memory (“ROM”) or otherstorage device for storing information and instructions for theprocessor. Other information storage mechanisms may also be connected tothe computer, such as a hard disk drive, a floppy disk drive, a magnetictape drive, an optical disk drive, a CD or DVD drive (R or RW), or otherremovable or fixed media drive, such as a program cartridge andcartridge interface, a removable memory (for example, a flash memory orother removable memory module) and memory slot, a PCMCIA slot and card,and other fixed or removable storage units and interfaces that allowsoftware and data to be transferred from the storage unit to thecomputer.

The computer may also include a communications interface that may beused to allow software and data to be transferred between the computerand external devices. Examples of the communications interface mayinclude a modem or softmodem, a network interface (such as an Ethernet,network interface card, or other interface), a communications port (suchas for example, a USB port, IR port, RS232 port or other port), or otherwired or wireless communications interface. Software and datatransferred via the communications interface are carried on signals,which may be electronic, electromagnetic, optical or other signalscapable of being received by a given communications interface. Thesignals may be provided to the communications interface using a wired orwireless medium. Some examples of a channel may include a phone line, acellular phone link, an RF link, an optical link, a network interface, alocal or wide area network, the internet, and other communicationschannels.

In this document, the terms “computer program medium” and “computerusable medium” are used to generally refer to media such as, forexample, the memory, storage unit, media, and signals on a channel.These and other various forms of computer usable media may be involvedin carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions to theprocessor for execution. Such instructions, generally referred to as“computer program code” (which may be grouped in the form of computerprograms or other groupings), when executed, enable the computer toperform features or functions of the present invention as discussedherein.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been describedabove, it should be understood that they have been presented by way ofexample only, and not of limitation. Likewise, the various diagrams maydepict an example architectural or other configuration for theinvention, which is done to aid in understanding the features andfunctionality that may be included in the invention. The invention isnot restricted to the illustrated example architectures orconfigurations, but the desired features may be implemented using avariety of alternative architectures and configurations. Indeed, it willbe apparent to one of skill in the art how alternative functional,logical or physical partitioning and configurations may be implementedto implement the desired features of the present invention. Also, amultitude of different constituent module names other than thosedepicted herein may be applied to the various partitions. Additionally,with regard to flow diagrams, operational descriptions and methodclaims, the order in which the steps are presented herein shall notmandate that various embodiments be implemented to perform the recitedfunctionality in the same order unless the context dictates otherwise.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been describedabove, it should be understood that they have been presented by way ofexample only, and not of limitation. Likewise, the various diagrams maydepict an example architectural or other configuration for theinvention, which is done to aid in understanding the features andfunctionality that may be included in the invention. The invention isnot restricted to the illustrated example architectures orconfigurations, but the desired features may be implemented using avariety of alternative architectures and configurations. Indeed, it willbe apparent to one of skill in the art how alternative functional,logical or physical partitioning and configurations may be implementedto implement the desired features of the present invention. Also, amultitude of different constituent module names other than thosedepicted herein may be applied to the various partitions. Additionally,with regard to flow diagrams, operational descriptions and methodclaims, the order in which the steps are presented herein shall notmandate that various embodiments be implemented to perform the recitedfunctionality in the same order unless the context dictates otherwise.

Although the invention is described above in terms of various exemplaryembodiments and implementations, it should be understood that thevarious features, aspects and functionality described in one or more ofthe individual embodiments are not limited in their applicability to theparticular embodiment with which they are described, but instead may beapplied, alone or in various combinations, to one or more of the otherembodiments of the invention, whether or not such embodiments aredescribed and whether or not such features are presented as being a partof a described embodiment. Thus the breadth and scope of the presentinvention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplaryembodiments.

Terms and phrases used in this document, and variations thereof, unlessotherwise expressly stated, should be construed as open ended as opposedto limiting. As examples of the foregoing: the term “including” shouldbe read as meaning “including, without limitation” or the like; the term“example” is used to provide exemplary instances of the item indiscussion, not an exhaustive or limiting list thereof; the terms “a” or“an” should be read as meaning “at least one,” “one or more,” or thelike; and adjectives such as “conventional,” “traditional,” “normal,”“standard,” “known” and terms of similar meaning should not be construedas limiting the item described to a given time period or to an itemavailable as of a given time, but instead should be read to encompassconventional, traditional, normal, or standard technologies that may beavailable or known now or at any time in the future. Likewise, wherethis document refers to technologies that would be apparent or known toone of ordinary skill in the art, such technologies encompass thoseapparent or known to the skilled artisan now or at any time in thefuture.

A group of items linked with the conjunction “and” should not be read asrequiring that each and every one of those items be present in thegrouping, but rather should be read as “and/or” unless expressly statedotherwise. Similarly, a group of items linked with the conjunction “or”should not be read as requiring mutual exclusivity among that group, butrather should also be read as “and/or” unless expressly statedotherwise. Furthermore, although items, elements or components of theinvention may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural iscontemplated to be within the scope thereof unless limitation to thesingular is explicitly stated.

The presence of broadening words and phrases such as “one or more,” “atleast,” “but not limited to” or other like phrases in some instancesshall not be read to mean that the narrower case is intended or requiredin instances where such broadening phrases may be absent. The use of theterm “module” does not imply that the components or functionalitydescribed or claimed as part of the module are all configured in acommon package. Indeed, any or all of the various components of amodule, whether control logic or other components, may be combined in asingle package or separately maintained and may further be distributedacross multiple locations.

Additionally, the various embodiments set forth herein are described interms of exemplary block diagrams, flow charts and other illustrations.As will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art afterreading this document, the illustrated embodiments and their variousalternatives can be implemented without confinement to the illustratedexamples. For example, block diagrams and their accompanying descriptionshould not be construed as mandating a particular architecture orconfiguration.

1. A method for tracking an interrogator relay unit (IRU) associatedwith a customer within a structure: emitting an RF interrogation signalusing the IRU; receiving, at the IRU, location data from one or moreRFID tags in response to the RF interrogation signal; transmitting thelocation data, an identification information of the IRU, and timestampdata to a remote server using the IRU; and generating a customerbehavior report using the transmitted location data, the identificationinformation, and the timestamp data, wherein the customer behaviorreport includes a travel pattern of the IRU a time duration reportshowing how long the IRU was at each of a plurality of locations,average time spent at various locations within the structure, andaverage time in the structure; wherein the RFID tags are mounted withinthe structure based upon a predetermined standard that addresses themounting location of each RFID tag and a prescribed distance betweenRFID tags, wherein at least one MID tag includes an address, contactinformation, and a building schematic for the structure.
 2. The methodof claim 1, wherein the location data received from an RFID tagcomprises where the RFID tag is located.
 3. The method of claim 1,further comprising calculating the time duration of the IRU within atransmission range of an RFID tag by analyzing the timestamp dataassociated with the IRU identification information.
 4. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the RFID tags are passive RFID tags.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the behavior report is generated using location datafrom a plurality of RFID tags.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein theplurality of RFID tags are located in a store.
 7. The method of claim 6,wherein the location data comprises location information concerningwhere an RFID tag is located within the store.
 8. The method of claim 7,wherein the IRU is located on a mobile container used for storingshopping materials.
 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:transmitting the identification information of the IRU to apoint-of-sale device; and transmitting a point-of-sale data package tothe remote server once a sale transaction is completed using thepoint-of-sale device, wherein the point-of-sale data package containsinformation relating to the transaction.
 10. The method of claim 9,wherein the point-of-sale data package comprises purchaser informationand items purchased information.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein thepoint-of-sale data package further comprises date and time oftransaction and total price of the transaction.
 12. The method of claim10, wherein the purchaser information is credit card information or clubmember information.
 13. A method for tracking an interrogator relay unit(IRU) associated with a customer comprising: emitting RF interrogationsignals at a prescribed interval using the IRU; receiving, at the IRU,location data from a plurality of passive RFID tags in response to theRF interrogation signals; transmitting the received location data andidentification information of the IRU to a remote server using the IRU;calculating time duration information of the IRU within a transmissionrange of a RFID tag using the prescribed interval and a number of timesthe location data from the RFID tag is transmitted along with theidentification information of the IRU; generating a customer behaviorreport including a travel pattern of the IRU, a time duration reportshowing how long the IRU was at each of a plurality of locations,average time spent at various locations within a structure, and averagetime in the structure; wherein the RFID tags are mounted within thestructure based upon a predetermined standard that addresses themounting location of each RFID tag and a prescribed distance betweenRFID tags, wherein at least one RFID tag includes an address, contactinformation, and a building schematic for the structure.
 14. The methodof claim 13, further comprising: mapping the pattern of travel of theIRU using the calculated time duration information associated with theplurality of RFID tags.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein each RFIDtag is a passive RFID tag.
 16. The method of claim 13, wherein theplurality of RFID tags is located in a store.
 17. The method of claim16, wherein the location data comprises location information concerningwhere an RFID tag is located within the store.
 18. A system for trackingshopping behavior comprising: a plurality of passive RFID tagsdistributed within a structure, each RFID tag configured to containlocation information regarding its position within the structure; an IRUassociated with a customer and configured to receive the locationinformation from the plurality of RFID tags in response to interrogationsignals transmitted by the IRU, wherein the IRU is configured totransmit the location information and an identification information ofthe IRU to a remote database; and a report generator configured to querythe remote database and to generate a customer behavior report includinga travel pattern of the IRU, a time duration report showing how long theIRU was at each of a plurality of locations, average time spent atvarious locations within the structure, and average time in thestructure; wherein the remote database is configured to store andtimestamp each location information received; wherein the RFID tags aremounted within the structure based upon a predetermined standard thataddresses the mounting location of each RFID tag and a prescribeddistance between RFID tags, wherein at least one RFID tag includes anaddress, contact information, and a building schematic for thestructure.
 19. The system of claim 18, wherein the IRU is located on amobile container configured to store shopping items.
 20. The system ofclaim 18, wherein the report generator is configured to generate thebehavior report that includes the time duration of the IRU within atransmission range of one RFID tag using the timestamp data generated bythe remote database.
 21. The system of claim 18, further comprising: apoint-of-sale device configured to transmit purchaser information anditems purchased information to the remote server once a sale transactionis completed to the remote database; wherein the report generator isconfigured to generate a sale report using data received from thepoint-of-sale device.
 22. The system of claim 21, wherein the purchaserinformation is credit card information or club member information.